Vegan Chik'n Salad

I recently went to Land of Kush (Baltimore's only Southern-inspired vegan restaurant) for the first time this past month and was completely blown away. They have an amazing chicken salad wrap (in addition to everything else on their menu!) that I absolutely needed to replicate. I came up with something that is a hybrid of Land of Kush's meal and a recipe on FatFree Vegan Kitchen's website. This recipe makes about three cups of chik'n salad.

Spicy Peanut Butter Tofu Stir Fry

This recipe was a first for me. Preparing tofu is always something I get nervous about every time I make it because it is such a finicky food (it can go anywhere from tasting like an amazing and filling meal to tasting like a sponge). This recipe is based off of a peanut butter tofu recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen and turned out really well. It wasn't as smooth as the original recipe made it look, but it was every bit as delicious as I wanted it to be. Pro tip: the meal tasted even better as leftovers, so try to save a little if you can handle it. This recipe makes about 4-5 servings.

Spaghetti Squash topped with Maple-Glazed Tofu

After my last spaghetti squash recipe went so well, I definitely had to do it again. This time, I decided to search for a different topping and found maple-glazed tofu. Magical. Also, if you sub the butter for vegan butter, it is a completely vegan meal. This recipe makes about three to four servings (depending on the size of the squash).

Thanksgiving Pizza

Grab all of your Thanksgiving leftovers and read on. This pizza was born last year post-holiday, and the tradition continues this year.  Also, I was in a land of no WiFi over Thanksgiving and was unable to get a bunch of recipes out to you, so keep an eye out all week for new ones! Hope your holiday was filled with good company and delicious food.

Grilled Tofu & Pesto Panini

I got this recipe out of a summertime vegetarian cookbook, Cookouts Veggie Style!, which has awesome meatless and meat-substitute BBQ recipes. If you are veg, or know someone who is, you will understand when I say that cookouts can be pretty disappointing when you don't eat meat. Everyone is enjoying hamburgers, hotdogs and steak, while you're consuming warm macaroni salad in unhealthy quantities. This recipe--and a lot of others in that cookbook--really create (and recreate) filling and flavorful dishes that both meat-eaters and vegheads can enjoy. This panini is great if you have any leftover grilled tofu (or, in my case, I grilled it just for the panini!).

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Pair with: a red ale (such as Sam Adam's Irish Red), or a crisp white wine (like Boordy's sauvignon blanc).

Ingredients
makes two sandwiches
Ciabatta bread, cut and sliced for two sandwiches, about 4" long
1/4 cup of prepared basil pesto -- I used Wegman's bottled brand
Two (2) quarter-inch slices of smoked tofu
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup of fresh baby spinach, for topping
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing

Directions
Brush the inside of each ciabatta roll with EVOO, and grill each side.
While the bread is heating, begin grilling the tofu. Grill for a few minutes, until heated through, and then flip.
Once bread is warm and slightly toasted, spread pesto on one side.
Slide tofu onto bread, and top with tomatoes and spinach.
Enjoy!

Tip
You can either grill these outside on a coal- or gas-grill, or you can grill on your stovetop.

Tofu Stir Fry

This tofu stir-fry is a go-to anytime you have extra veggies in the fridge and a big appetite. It's pretty easy to put together and you can serve a range (from individual to a huge group).

Ingredients

6oz of thin noodles -- I used whole grain thin spaghetti
6oz of tofu -- I marinated mine for about 12 hours in teriyaki sauce
Two (2) tablespoons of butter -- I used vegan butter

Teriyaki-marinated tofu

Four (4) cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of diced mushrooms
One (1) diced, boiled Russett potato
1/2 onion, chopped -- You can use more, I just had an extra half-onion in the fridge
1/2 cup of asparagus, chopped
Three (3) bulbs of green onions, chopped
1/2 cup bean sprouts

Directions
Cook noodles as directed on box. Drain and set aside.
Melt butter in a large pan (another reason to use my wok!)
Once butter is melted, toss in garlic.
Next, toss in the asparagus, mushrooms, potato, and onion.  Let heat.
In a separate pan, sear marinated tofu.
Once seared, toss tofu into pan with veggies and let simmer for a couple minutes.
Turn heat up and toss in noodles. Ensure that noodles are completely coated. You can also sear them in the pan at this time if you so desire.
Garnish with bean sprouts and serve immediately. This should serve three to four.